Variable width low parallel bar



y 1965 G. P. NISSEN 3,184,232

VARIABLE WIDTH LOW PARALLEL BAR Filed July 20, 1962 INVENTOR.

GEORGE E NISSEN iw f. W

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,184,232 VARIABLE WIDTH LOW PARALLEL BAR George P. Nissen, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor to Nissen Corporation, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed July 20, 1962, Ser. No. 211,169 7 Claims. (Cl. 272-63) This invention, in the class of gymnastic apparatus, relates to parallel bars. Although applicable also to those with height adjustability of between four and six feet, it has been conceived primarily for low parallel bars about twelve inches above the floor.

The salient aim and advantage consists in facilely obtaining, within certain limits, any selected spacing between the top bars and effecting such spacing relatively instantaneously,

Derivative advantages consist in reduced fabricating and maintenance costs and extended apparatus life, result ing from the absence of the usual complexity of screws, clamps and/ or levers found in conventional variable width parallel bars.

An incidental but welcome advantage consists in the absence of protruding elements which not infrequently injure the user.

For a complete understanding of the invention reference can now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which- FIGURE 1 is a plan view from above of a low parallel bar incorporating the invention, seen in the folded or collapsed state.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the same but seen in the fully extended or open state.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the same but seen in an intermediate state.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2.

Turning to the drawings top bars 11 and 12 of any suitable material, preferably wood, are mounted parallel to each other above a pair of rigid, parallel base assemblies 13 and 14 extending transversely of top bars 11 and 12 adjacent and equally inwards from the ends thereof. Top bars 11 and 12 are supported above base assemblies 13 and 14 by means of four upright sleeves or standards 15, fillet welded at their lower ends to their respective bases 13 and 14, which pivotally respectively receive four cylindrical posts whose exposed upper ends are indicated at 16. Sleeves or standards 15 are located on bases 13 and 14 so that the axes of posts 16 form the corners of a horizontal parallelogram. The upper ends of posts 16 are secured to the undersides of top bars 11 and 12 by means of four cradles 17 secured thereto from each of which depend two mutually spaced, integral lugs 18 so that each cradle 17 thus constitutes a U-bracket or yoke to which the respective upper ends of posts 16 are pinned at 19. Base assemblies 13 and 14, in turn, respectively preferably comprise two pairs of flattened steel tubes 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14b, the diagonally opposite ends of which are splayed as at 20, tubes 13a, 13b and 14a, 14b of each pair being disposed alongside each other and joined by suitable fillet welds 21 on their undersides. For better appearance, each sleeve or standard 15 is largely concealed by an attractively colored, unafiixed plastic skirt 22 seated atop the respective base assemblies 13 and 14. In FIGURE 3 one of the four skirts 22 has been omitted in order to illus- 'ice trate fully the respective standard or sleeve 15 in elevation. Since the latter and posts 16 are mutually rotatable about their four axes, pivotal relationship between bars 11 and 12 and base assemblies 13 and 14 is achieved so that the parallel disposition of bars 11 and 12 is maintained regardless of how the spacing therebetween is adjusted.

Each of the splayed ends 20 is provided on its undersurface with a small, circular pad 23 and the remaining ends of each base 13 and 14 is provided on its undersurface with a larger rectangular pad 24, thus affording a stable, three point suspension for each base assembly 13 and 14 and consequently for the entire apparatus. The pads 23 and 24 are preferably of a suitable elastomeric material.

I claim:

1. Parallel bar gymnastic apparatus comprising a pair of laterally spaced, horizontal bars, a base assembly supporting said bars above the floor in parallel relation to each other including both a pair of rigid, laterally spaced floor engaging base members extending transversely of said bars and means carried by said base assembly effective to permit optional adjustment of the spacing between said bars about two pairs of vertical axes, each pair of said axes being formed by a pair of pivots carried by and spaced on one of said base members transversely of said bars and affording pivotal movement of said base member relative to the other base member and to said bars, both pairs of said axes forming the corners of a horizontally disposed parallelogram, whereby said bars are maintained parallel regardless of adjustment of the spacing therebetween.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein each of said pivots comprises an upright standard having a vertical bore and a bar supporting post rotatably received and seated there in providing one of said axes, the upper end of said post being secured to the underside of one of said bars.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein each of said base members comprises a pair of horizontally flattened, mutually afiixed tubes disposed horizontally side by side, except the adjacent tube ends of a pair of diagonally opposite ends of said base members being horizontally splayed in order to provide increased stability for said apparatus.

4. A variable width low parallel bar comprising a pair or" horizontally disposed, laterally spaced parallel bars, a pair of laterally spaced, horizontally disposed rigid base members extending transversely of said bars, said members being spaced vertically below a pair of longitudinally equally spaced locations along each of said bars adjacent the ends thereof, means extending from the underside of said bars at each of said locations to its respective one of said base members therebelow effective to support said bars above and connect them to said base members for rotation of the latter with respect to each other and to said bars about two pairs of vertical axes in order to adjust the spacing between said bars, whereby the parallel disposition of said bars is maintained regardless of adjustment of the spacing therebetween.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein each of said means comprises an upright sleeve carried by one of said base members having a parallel bar supporting post rotatably received and seated therein.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein each of said base members comprises a pair of horizontally flattened, mutually afiixed tubes disposed horizontally side by side except theadjacenttube ends of a pair of diagonally opposite ends of said base members being horizontally splayed in order to provide increased stability; v r

7. The device of claim 6 wherein each of said splayed tube ends is provided with a floor engaging,.elastomeric pad on its undersurface and wherein each of the remain-n ing diagonally opposite ends of said base members is provided with a single floor engaging, elastomerie pad ex-- tending over the undersurface of both of said tllbQS',

thereof.

- References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,734,664 11/29 Albach -272-63 2,599,863 6/52 Riemvis; 248-2 81 FOREIGN PATENTS 167,262 "3 /56 Australia.

1 LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Exa mifier. 10 RICHARD. 0., PINKHAM, Examiner. 

1. PARALLEL BAR GYMNASTIC APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED, HORIZONTAL BARS, A BASE ASSEMBLY SUPPORTING SAID BARS ABOVE THE FLOOR IN PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER INCLUDING BOTH A PAIR OF RIGID, LATERALLY SPACED FLOOR ENAGING BAE MEMBERS EXTENDING TRNSVERSELY OF SAID BARS AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BASE ASSEMBLY EFFECTIVE TO PERMIT OPTIONAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID BARS ABOUT TWO PAIRS OF VERTICAL AXES, EACH PAIR OF SAID AXES BEING FORMED BY A PAIR OF PIVOTS CARRIED BY AND SPACED ON ONE OF SAID BASE MEMBERS TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BARS AND AFFORDING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BASE MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE OTHER BASE MEMBER AND TO SAID BARS, BOTH PAIRS OF SAID AXES FORMING THE CORNERS OF A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PARALLELOGRAM, WHEREBY SAID BARS ARE MAINTAINED PARALLEL REGARDLESS OF ADJUSTMENT OF THE SPACING THEREBETWEEN. 